 January 31th: On the move
This is the day we moved islands via the InterIslander across the Cook Strait. There is another ferry called Bluebridge.
We boarded the ferry, Maui included and set sail. The crossing was fine, clear blue skies but so windy, staying upright was a struggle. Tragically Martin lost his baseball cap and I gained a Bridget Jones hair do. We stayed up on deck and watched the sea, punctuated with trips to the cafe on board to refill on lattes. The crossing was three hours that took us through the magnificent Marlborough Sounds. We docked at Picton.
Out of Picton we followed the Queen Charlotte Drive, which on the map looked a bit twisty and reality was a breath taking route. From Picton the track climbed quickly, with sharp hairpin bends. We looked down over green, turquoise waters, golden sandy bays and high dense palms, ferns and trees. Neither my description or pictures do it justice.
The drive ended at Havelock and we took the road to Nelson. The park we were looking for was the Kiwi Tahuna Holiday Park. When we arrived we discovered it was right by the beach. The park was itself was like a small village, covering 54 acres with well equipped facilities and a warm, friendly welcome. We quickly noted crazy golf and indulged in a swift round.
 February 1st: Sandy Bay
During the night the rain was torrential, which I had discovered at about 3am. The Maui has two skylights.. you can see where this is going. We had forgotten to close the one above our bed. I woke to a tip tap and then realised I had a wet foot. The wind whistled around the Maui and made ghostly noises.
We decided to drive to Abel Tasman National Park, be British and sit in the rain, drink tea and watch the weather. The cloud line was low and hid the mountain tops. After driving up and down many hills we reached the start of the park and found Sandy Bay just past the village of Marahau. This was as far as we could go by road. The park is famous for stunning scenery and endless tramps/hikes.
The tide was out which had revealed multiple textures and patterns in the sand. The sky was dark and dramatic out to sea. The rain started to ease and the sun came out behind us - the lighting was magical. Relaxed we stayed put for the rest of the day just watching the weather and the day go by.
Back at the holiday park and after another swift round of crazy golf, we walked into Tahuna and ate at the Green Room which served us fine fare. |
